Ten random things...

...that have happened since my last post.

1: I went to the amazing Doily exhibition at Gleaners with Charlotte. Fun! Liz had set up the exhibition so beautifully and each item was exquisite. I was so happy to see my doll, Doilores, perched on a ladder right in the middle of the wall. If you get a chance to visit Gleaners in Ballarat St, Brunswick, you really should.  I  know you will love all of the fabulous hand made treasures that are on sale. I can't wait to go back for another look myself. I really fancied Liz's love heart earrings..and just about everything else there too! I saw the exhibition made it into the Herald Sun on the weekend, did you see it?

2: Sewing, sewing and more sewing. I'm still working away on getting my online store updated. Bear with me, life is sometimes (always) super busy round here. I hope to launch my new look shop with a giveaway later this week. Stay tuned!

3: A lovely friend and I took our girls to see Taylor Swift last week! Oh my! It was a fabulous show and we all had the best time ever.

The icy strawberry daquiri's for us grown ups went down a treat too. Oh boy, what a fun night!

4: I've have taken lots of photo's for the bunnies and bits that are going into my shop.

Beautiful Sunday has been helping me out.

She did an amazing job last night as she was SO tired after a sleepover party..yawn..

5: I managed to dangle the end of my dressing gown cord into the toilet. Not fun. Does that ever happen to you?

6: I wrote and sent off an application for a job! Exciting!

7: I set up the school footy tipping competition..we are going online this year so no more lost footy tip sheets, no more adding up of tips, and hopefully a fun competition!

8:  I made an All Together Cake (Frankie's Afternoon Tea)  and managed to drop it while transferring it from the rack to the plate. Uh oh. Still managed to salvage enough for school lunches today. It's a great recipe..here it is

Preheat oven to 180 C (160 for fan forced). Combine all ingredients in a bowl & beat for about 6 minutes. Grease cake tin, pour mixture in & bake for 40 minutes. How easy is that?
Ingredients: 1/4 cup of milk, 125g butter, 3/4 caster sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon plain flour, 1 cup S/R flour, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence.
Icing is 3 tablespoons of icing sugar and a blob of butter. Love this easy, peasy cake.

9: I've started on the speech I'm supposed to be giving for my dad's 75th birthday this weekend. This is some challenge, let me tell you. I'm going with the theme of Ten Things you Don't Know about Muzz. Could be interesting...

10: I ate gnocchi two nights in a row and over 100 k's apart. Friday night with Char at our fave restaurant, Woodstock in Nth Fitzroy and then on Saturday night with Mark at Darmagi in Hepburn Springs. Both freshly made, both delicious, both lovely dinner companions & both great places to eat! (Not sure I could have eaten gnocchi three nights in a row though..well..maybe..)

So there..phew. Lots going on. And now it's Monday and the start of a brand new week. What's happening with you this week? Any birthdays or fun things? Hope it's a beauty, see you soon xo

Hello Monday!

Hello Monday!

 What a bright and sunshiny day it is, a lovely way to start the week. After school drop off this morning I had a quick coffee with friends, which always kick starts my day in a positive way. I need that little boost before I get back home, a bit of catch up with some lovelies is always good.

Back home I've been getting on with things, ploughing through the list. Sounds a bit ominous doesn't it? But it isn't really, just lots of little things to catch up on and I was just thinking, as I hung out the washing, how lucky I am. The freedom to be out in the sunshine with the birdies tweeting, under the walnut tree watching my yellow roses grow over the chook pen. It's so pretty and fresh in our garden and it reminded me to today how much I love living where we do.

There's so much to enjoy about life in the country and such a beautiful time of year to be outside. 

Yesterday Rosie helped me take some photo's of a new little black bunny that will be in my shop shortly. She climbed the apple tree and then decided she'd snuggle up on a rug on the grass.

As I snapped away I realised she was asleep! She had a  lovely little cat nap under the apple tree, so peaceful. It's been a busy week going back to school and ballet and discovering netball! It was nice just to watch our little dynamo so relaxed and dreamy.

When she woke up we finished off her new bunny, Rose. Rose was a 'not quite right' bunny who has  been adopted by Rosie. She needed a top so we found some red alpaca offcuts and quickly sewed one up!  It's not perfect but it's rather sweet and only took me a few minutes. It's amazing what you can do when you don't plan!

How was your weekend? Our 's was full of making and dancing and food and cooking and eating! Mark has been having a little fruit festival of his own, picking black berries and plums like crazy. He made blackberry jam and then Kate's black berry and yoghurt cake.

The kids I and decided to make gnocchi which we all love, especially me. Sorry you missed out Char, if you are reading this...wish you had been here to eat some too!

Do you make gnocchi at home too? It's so easy and fun.

We started with 1.5 kilo's of Sebago potatoes which I boiled in their skins then put through a ricer. The kids love the way the little worms of potato come out. On a floured bench we rolled the potato into a big ball and made a well in the centre.  Rosie ran outside and crawled under the hedge to get us a fresh egg (thanks White Chook!) and we cracked that into the middle of the mountain of potato.

I just add flour as I go until the mixture is soft but not sticky. Then we rolled out little snakes and cut them into small pieces. The kids are so good at this bit and made the little pieces into acorn shaped balls.

I had a pot of boiling water on the go and a pan with sauce and olive oil in it. After dropping the gnocchi into the boiling water they rose quickly to the surface. I scooped them out, draining the water off, and popped them in a baking dish with some delicious garlic/tomato sauce. Sunday went next door and asked Alison for some of her home grown parsely, we grated parmesan and voila! Dinner, yum!

It's such a beautiful, tasty and filling dinner. And guess what? I've got some left over for lunch today! Woo hoo! If you haven't tried making gnocchi you really should, it's a lot of fun and so delicious.

Well I guess I better get on with my list... but hey, before I go! Do you like my new blog look? I'd love to hear what you think. Charlotte has been helping me, I think it looks nice and fresh, it feels good. 

My shop is next on the list!

Anyway lovely ones, hope you have a great week, 

see you soon xoxo

Changes

Somehow my good intentions of doing a 'back to school post' faded into dust..maybe I was too busy enjoying those last few days of holidays. I have loved this summer so much and I really didn't want the long break to end. 

Although those last few days were a little...ahem..trying! Most people I spoke to said their kids were getting a bit antsy, niggling at each other and ready to return to a bit more structure, to their friends, to school. Change is such a constant part of our lives but sometimes it's the most challenging isn't it? There I was happily sending my kids back but part of me didn't want to let them go. The house was so eerily quiet when I got back from drop off..a little bit spooky really. And the reality of the kids going back to school is that I finally have time to myself and it suddenly fills up with a million other things. Lots to readjust to, lots of things to carry around in my head.

Activities, fee's, meal planning, uniform, blah blah blah! This had me dreaming, somewhat sadly, of our relaxing summer where everything was much slower, where time was all floppy..remember that?

But then I snapped out of my funk and thought of all the things I"m looking forward to this term, this year.! I'm enjoying my kids being a little bit older, they are more independent and can help out more with day to day things. I'm loving the various groups I'm involved with book club, the oral history gang, school committee's and also hanging out a bit with my lovely friends. This includes you guys who I feel I have neglected somewhat lately. Which leads me to something else I'm looking forward to..

my new blog look & online store!!

I'm pretty excited about these changes - I can't wait to show you! 

I'll be blogging more often and also updating my store regularly with a wider variety of handmade items including of course my Dandelion bunnies.

I'm working hard on my vintage linen bedding & accessories range too which has been so much fun. As soon as I have more stock sorted I'll be unveiling my new store and celebrating with a giveaway! So stay tuned.

After much consideration over the summer I have decided to give my little business a real go in 2012.  Being available for my kids is really important to me so working from our own home is pretty ideal. Having said that I am being strict with myself on 'work days' as it's so easy to get caught up in the ongoing domestics. You know what I mean I'm sure..

So yes, a few changes for me - happy ones! Have you got plans for 2012?

What's happening in your world?

See you soon lovely ones xo

Making

This week I've been working on some lovely new bunnies. This little one above is a birthday bunny for a special girl. I love the pink of her cardi, it's the prettiest pink, dusty, musk stick, sweetie pie pink.

And this is a bunny for a new baby girl.  I will have to change that button though,

buttons and babies just don't go together, do they?

This week I've had two kids home with colds. Mr Self Portrait built a log house with his new Lego, adding little extra's and even designed his own human sized log cabin.

While I dithered around, sorting through buttons, looking through a certain person's blog, looking for inspiration for the Brooch Swap.

After my original idea failed dismally I went back to scrawling page after page, getting to know this person quite well and having a lovely time, until I came across The Idea.

Which is shaping up quite nicely. Not really original, not particularly technically amazing, but sweet nevertheless, with personality & a fair degree of wonkiness. Phew, it's almost finished and ready for posting.

Today I found it hard to get out of  bed, these three pushed me out in the end and declared they'd be staying like this all day, snug as three bugs in a rug. It's so cold this week, we had a little snow yesterday. Fluttering flakes of white, scattered swirls overnight.

Today I was classroom helper in the Prep room, so fun to be with the children, all so full of big eyed innocence and fun. I love hearing their ideas, their take of the world. Watching them dance and sing to The Wonky Donkey was hilarious too, do you know that book?

Anyway, back to work now, much to do here at home. Besides all the usual housie stuff I hope to get a little more knitting down this afternoon. I've finished the back & arms of Rosie's cardi, now I'm onto the front. Feeling rather pleased with myself as so far it's looking good.  Hope you're having a fun one, have you had a look at all these other people's spaces yet? I might sneak a peek too. See you soon xo

My Creative Space

My creative space has been a work in  progress lately. I'll be honest with you, I haven't been in full Bunny Mode for a while. I've been dabbling and thinking but not giving the joys of bunny making my full attention. I don't know about you but I find the day to day running of a busy household is pretty overwhelming, not to mention TIME consuming, so I guess something has to give.

Having said that I squeezed in a little crafting time this week (I was sad to miss the girls at Craft Night due to tiredness... I heard Baby Harvey is the ants pants!).

 What do you think of this little dress? And yes, there will be ears sprouting shortly, I just had a hankering to get a frock made first. A little change from the bunny skirts I usually make.

And this little girl who is also earless but at least semi clothed.

She is a bunny on order for a yet to arrive baby.

Our good friend, Chris, is up to his third order,

what a sweetie he is. I love it when people choose handmade gifts for 

new borns. It's so much more special.

Speaking of special, Chris is having a big birthday bash this weekend,

Happy Birthday Gorgeous! Can't wait to celebrate with you.

Do you remember the hearts on strings I made last year?

Well I have been revisiting them a little this week.  I love the heart shape, in all shapes and forms & it's fun making these little ones out of alpaca offcuts. Lets face it I could be making them for many years as I have SO many little pieces of this soft & gorgeous fabric.

It's also a good way to use up scraps left over from cut up tea towels & other vintage linen.

I also finished another bunny order this week, a little boy bunny, 

who has headed off to Queensland. Don't forget I'm always happy to do custom orders, just send me an email and we can work out colours & cardi's etc.

Well, it's time to go and get on with my day. We have our Mother's Day liturgy at school today, it's always a beautiful experience. Might have to take a hankie,! It's always so sweet and meaningful. My kids mean the world to me and give me so much love everyday. I really feel truly blessed & grateful to have them in my life and being a mum, although challenging at times, is really the best thing ever.

I hope all you mums out there know how important & special  you are.

 Bye for now lovely friends, hope you are having a happy day xo

ps. Daisy wants to know if you've entered my giveaway yet?